Archer had been happy with her project. She had created a great diorama for their school’s “Diorama Month”. It featured the migration movements of the jellyfish that lived off the coast of Baltimare and actually had little jellyfish figurines that would move around when a lever was wound. It was the best thing she had ever made for school and she held her chin high. She went in early today since this was the day judging would occur and she wanted to make sure everything was ready for her teacher and her new Aide. She’d make her parents so proud today.

She went to the school and found that the door had been suspiciously unlocked. Thinking that it was odd for the school barn to be open this early, she checked out the inside and noticed that everything was dark. She turned on the lights and found, to her horror, the remains of her diorama.

“Nooo!” she yelled, wondering how this could have happened. This was more than just a broken diorama; this thing had been pretty much eviscerated, with most of it actually turned into dust! There had been a crime committed in Ponyville, and the culprit would soon be caught.

“I can’t WAIT to show Cheerilee my diorama! I spent an entire week researching how Canterlot City was built to make this model!” an exuberant Sweetie Bell said, bouncing along while carrying her project in a wagon. Applebloom and Scootaloo were with her as well, bringing along their respective dioramas.

“I sure hope Ms. Cheerilee likes my Farming Diorama! Tells ponies about how we prepare the food and all for them to eat,” Applebloom said proudly.

“Oh yeah? I’m sure I’ll win with my awesome diorama of how Rainbow Dash is the most awesome pony! It has charts, data, lots of words, and a model of me and Rainbow Dash flying!” Scootaloo was excited as well. She didn’t have many times during the school year where they actually built things with their own two hooves. The three of them trotted peacefully along to the school when they saw the commotion that was outside.

“Hey! What’s going on?” Applebloom asked, seeing a bunch of their classmates outside. “Hey, Featherweight, you know what’s happening?”

“It’s a tragedy! I’ve been taking notes myself for the Foal Free Press with all the drama that’s been going on. There’s just too much information for one reporter!” the small pegasus said before heading off to gather interviews.

“Let’s check this out,” Sweetie Bell said as the three of them entered the school barn. They saw different ponies gathered around where the dioramas had been stored and a clearing where the diorama had once stood. They were surprised to see it in such a bad condition. It almost looked as if the entire thing had caught on fire, but there weren’t any scorch marks. Archer was sitting at her desk, her head tucked into her hooves, sad at how all her work had been destroyed.

“Anypony care to explain how this happened?” Cheerilee asked her class. Nopony responded.
“I can assure you that if this was an accident, you won’t be punished. However, if you don’t come forward I can assure you that we WILL investigate and find the pony responsible. Then you’ll be sorry.” She was not looking that happy today. At that moment, Silent Study, Cheerilee’s new Aide, entered the classroom with a box containing blue ribbons and small prizes, unaware of what had happened.

“Hello everypony! Are you all excited for today’s judging?” the unaware unicorn Aide asked.

“I’m sorry Silent, but we’ll have to postpone the competition. It appears one of the classmates messed with Archer’s diorama and ruined it,” the disappointed teacher explained.

“Oh. I’m so sorry to hear that, Archer. Let’s see what some glue can do, alright?” the Aide said, trying to cheer up the distraught earth pony.

“Is it magical glue, because that’s the only thing I could imagine working with it,” Archer said, pointing at the pile of dust that used to be her pride-and-joy.

“Oh,” he replied, realizing that that could’ve gone better.

“Was there any evidence?” asked Truffle Shuffle. He had just entered the schoolroom with his diorama that detailed the complex digestion and breakdown of a cookie after being eaten.

“I don’t think so,” Cheerilee replied, desperately hoping that whoever the pony who did this would come forward. She really didn’t want to have to investigate and find one of her students had done something so mean and awful to another’s hard work. “Whatever was the cause, I’ve deduced that her project was destroyed by magic. Silent, could you gather the other ponies outside and bring them in. I’m going to try and figure out who did this and, hopefully, have the culprit confess before I have to be severe with punishments.” Silent complied and went outside to gather the students inside.

Once inside, the students who were unicorns were lined up and looked over. Snips and Snails were the most nervous of the bunch, seeing that they were the most obvious ones to be blamed for doing something that resulted in stuff breaking. Sun Glimmer and Toostie Flute just stood there, wondering how a diorama could be that badly destroyed. Cheerilee was up there as well, hoping that whatever this was could be solved quickly so she could unveil her masterpiece and impress everypony. The teacher approached them, a stern look on her face.

“I know many of you might be scared about coming forward and facing what you’ve done, but be assured that coming forward will make things much easier for each of you. If you feel compelled to let me know which one of you it was, please tell me privately after class. I don’t want this to drag on and, more importantly, I want you to apologize to Archer for what you’ve done, even if it was an accident. She put in a lot of effort into her work and if any of you were in her position I’m sure that you’d be upset as well.” She walked away to her desk, all the students looking at the group of unicorns in their classroom. One of them was guilty. “Don’t worry Archer,” the teacher said as she passed her desk. “I was able to get a very good look at your project since you got it in early and I can easily say that it was an "A+" diorama. I’ll still even consider it for the grand prize!” Cheerilee said to the saddened mare.

“Thank you teacher,” she responded, a smile finally returning to her gloomy face. She was glad that she could still win the grand prize, something that hadn’t been revealed to the classroom yet. Everypony in the class had been excited at the idea of winning something for their hard work and really put in the effort for this. Silent Study had been writing down notes about Cheerilee’s teaching style quickly, obviously impressed at how she handled these situations.

The class day went on, with everypony now being taught math. Everything was going well until Diamond Tiara started whispering to Apple Bloom.

“I bet it was your friend, Sweetie Belle. After all, she can barely control her magic. I bet she had some sort of magic burst and that she’s too embarrassed to say anything,” the pink mare said. Apple Bloom was attempting not to pay any attention to any of the mean comments, but that didn’t stop her from going on. “I wonder why it’s embarrassing. Maybe losing control of your magic is like the unicorn equivalence of when you sleep in bed and lose control of your-“ Whatever the tiara wearing pony was about to say was suddenly cut short by Silent Study’s patrol through the class, using his presence to make sure that nopony was misbehaving while the teacher taught her lesson. Apple Bloom pretended not to notice the colt.

Recess had come and it was time for the ponies to finally relax outside. It’d been a stressful morning and getting outside to run around would certainly calm some nerves. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were outside already while Apple Bloom was cleaning up her stuff. When she was about to leave, she overheard Archer say something to Cheerilee.

“Um, teacher?” she started. “I don’t know it this is important, but I actually found some hair near my diorama’s remains. It was purple and white-colored.” Apple Bloom’s eyes rose at the blue mare’s statement.

“I’m sure it’s nothing, Archer. After all, finding a piece of hair someplace is fairly common. In fact, an interesting piece of info is that at a crime scene, most investigators don’t focus much on hair or hoofprints too much since so many ponies lose hair and touch things that it’d be impossible to determine who was relevant to the case.” Cheerilee offered this bit of info to the student, but was soon interrupted by her Aide.

“Actually, Miss Cheerilee, that piece of info would probably be something big. I clean up this classroom for a good hour after everypony has left and I specifically went around the dioramas last night so they’d be ready for the judging tomorrow. If Archer managed to find some hair near the scene of the diorama’s doom, then it’s probably from somepony who came after I had left!” Silent told them this, causing them to inflect even further on the evidence. Apple Bloom, worried, went off to find her unicorn friend.

Outside, Sweetie Belle and Scoots were on the teeter totter when Apple Bloom came dashing towards them, eyes wide. “Sweetie Belle!” You need to do something! I dunno what, but anything!” Apple Bloom wasn’t very certain what her friend should do, but it didn’t help that she was too late, as Cheerilee approached the pair on the teeter totter and called out.

“Sweetie Belle, I need to see you right this instant,” the teacher said. Sweetie Belle wasn’t sure of what this was, but her teacher wasn’t too happy. Apple Bloom facehoofed as she was just too late for her warning to have any effect. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom followed behind them, trying not to be seen.

“Sweetie Belle, Archer found some of what looks like your hair near her project. What do you have to say?” the annoyed instructor asked.

“It wasn’t me! Honest! I wouldn’t have done something like that! I couldn’t!” Sweetie Belle protested. “Why would I want to do something like that in the first place?”

“Maybe because you thought you somehow had a chance of winning with your diorama.” Silver Spoon said this as the class walked in from recess.

“Silver Spoon, please go outside. We’re busy in here and recess isn’t over.” As if to correct Cheerilee, a large thunder clap was heard outside, prompting the rest of the classmates to come in early. She’d forgotten that the pegasi were doing rain today.

“Why would I worry about losing? Just look at how neat my project is!” Sweetie Belle removed the sheets, revealing her project to the entire class.

“Actually, that is a pretty good diorama of the Wasteland south of Equestria,” Silent Study remarked.

“Wasteland?! This is supposed to be an accurate model of Canterlot City!” Sweetie Belle yelled.

“Heh, diorama?” Diamond Tiara remarked. “Looks more like diarrhea.“

“Diamond Tiara, watch your language!” Cheerilee yelled, getting more and more frustrated as this situation wore on. “Look, Sweetie Belle, we’ve found evidence that it was you with the hair. Not only that, but Silent told me that he told only you how to get into the school in the event of emergency.”
Sweetie Belle thought back to that moment several weeks ago.

“Hey, Mr. Study!” the small, white filly said. “I need your help.” Silent was walking away from the school barn. Everything had been locked up and set for tomorrow’s class. Sweetie Belle was panting, trying to say something. “I accidentally left my Cutie Mark Crusader Cape inside the classroom and need it for tonight.” She kept on gasping, tired from all the running she had done to get to the classroom.

“I’m not sure, Sweetie Belle. I mean, I’m not supposed to open the school until the next day unless it’s an emergency.” Silent said this to the small filly, but soon started to change his mind as he saw her sweet face.

“Please sir! I really need to get in! I always wear my cape when we go crusading for my cutie mark! I wanna find out what I’m good at! We’re gonna try something with magic tonight. Maybe I’ll finally be able to cast a spell.” Something in that last sentence caused Silent Study to reflect upon his own time as a foal. When he was younger, Silent lived in Baltimare, a city that had lots of unicorns with practiced magic. He had never been able to practice magic, no matter how hard he had tried. That resulted in him being mocked for a large amount of his youth until he moved after receiving his AAT. Ponyville was a place where earth ponies lived, so he didn’t have to worry much about using magic daily. This young filly however was desperate to try and learn it, and he could sympathize with that pain so much.

“Alrighty then. Let’s head up there, OK?” Sweetie Belle bounced around at this news. They went up the road and went to the side of the school barn. Next to a pot with a sunflower was a small rock. Silent picked it up and opened the fake rock to reveal a key. Using that key, he opened up the front door to reveal the classroom, along with the red cape that the filly would adorn. She went in and grabbed it in a hurry.

“Oh, thank you so much, Mr. Study!” Silent was happy to hear that from Sweetie Belle’s lips.

“No problem. Just helping a lovely mare out,” Silent said. Sweetie Belle soon left the school barn, blushing at the fact she had just been called a “lovely mare”.

“Well, what do you have to say?” Sweetie Belle was returned to the present with Cheerilee’s words. She wishes she were back there in the past and not here in the present with the dread of her future.

“I-I didn’t do it! Believe me!” Sweetie Bell screamed out of anger, her voice squeaking. Several of her classmates started laughing from the cracks in her voice. “Stop laughing!” she said, her voice becoming more high-pitched and squeaky. Tears started rolling down her eyes as she couldn’t handle all of this. Her classmates were laughing, not even able to help it, her teacher was accusing her of doing something terrible, and her friends weren’t able to help her. “I didn’t do it,” she whispered to herself.

“Wait!” cried out her friends. They rushed over to Sweetie’s side, trying to protect her from the mocking of the class. Apple Bloom spoke first.

“Sweetie Belle couldn’t have done this. She doesn’t know any magic.”

“Yeah, and even if she could she wouldn’t have done this,” Scootaloo said in defense of her friend.

“It’s possible that she could’ve had a magic burst that she couldn’t control. The evidence would lead to that being the most likely outcome. Hey, it’s also fairly possible that she wouldn’t remember something like that with a powerful enough burst.” Silent Study’s analysis seemed to satisfy Cheerilee.

“That does seem like the most likely event. I remember that she was the last student to leave as well yesterday. It’s quite possible that the spell she cast without knowing had an effect later. As for the unlocked door, that could have been me simply being forgetful.” Cheerilee approached a teary eyed Sweetie Belle and knelt down to her. She had a tissue in her pouch and gave it to her student. The teacher had wanted to avoid something like this from happening in her classroom by doing this in private. No pony, even one who was guilty, should feel the shame she was experiencing at the moment in front of her peers. This was the sort of stuff that led to developmental issues and anxieties in the future. “Sweetie Belle, we understand if this was an accident. We won’t judge you.” Silent Study took notes as Cheerilee calmed down the student with ease.

“But teacher, I know I didn’t do something like that. I’m so sure about that I’m willing to bet an entire week’s detention for it.” Sweetie Belle didn’t know what she was getting herself involved with, but it certain she wouldn't accept blame for this.

“The same for us!” her two friends shouted out.

“Really? Oh girls, thank you!” Sweetie Belle gave her friends the biggest hug possible she could do with her tiny hooves.

“Of course! What we’ll do is find whoever really committed the crime and clear your name! It’ll be awesome!” Scootaloo was pumped to do some investigating.

The three of them put their hooves together and started chanting. “One…two…three! CUTIE MARK CRUSADER INVESTIGATORS!”

Author's Notes:

Chapter's title is based off of the movie "Big Trouble in Little China". The rest of the titles will be based on mystery stories and ideas, so don't worry.